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Sunday's Service |
Get to know.... |
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Stepping Out in Gratitude! Come and thank God for your blessings. Wonderful music by our Middle School Singers, and also by a combined anthem of our Chancel Choir and Faith Ringers! Fabulous visuals by Joe Wiedemeier, a moving prayer of thanksgiving and the joy of getting together with your FCC family! See you Sunday! 
In Our Prayers:Nancy Norgord, recovering from a hip replacement at Evergreen. Our prayers and sympathy go to Patrick and Sue Meyer. Sue's mother, Kathy Benner, passed away on Sunday, November 13. May God's comfort be with all who mourn.(Services for Kathy will be Saturday 11/19 at Grace Lutheran Church in Pickett. Visitation is 10 am to noon; Service at noon with a luncheon following at the church.) Life Long Learning this SUNDAY November 20 9:00-9:45 GRIEVING DURING THE HOLIDAYS Presenter: Rev. Brian Tokoph The holidays are a tough time for anyone who has lost a loved one or has someone who is very sick or even away serving our country in the military. How can we enjoy the blessings of the season when our hearts are aching, or is it even possible? Brian has a lot of experience in dealing with these kinds of issues and will be here to share with us how we can grieve during the holidays and still participate in the joy of the season, despite our feelings of loss and loneliness. Video of Life Long Learning Now on Website!
If you missed Bill Urbrock's presentation last Sunday on Sacraments, you can now watch a video of it on the website. Just go to the Education tab, and then find "Growth Opportunities for Adults."
NEWCOMERS CLASS!
The Newcomer's Class has been cancelled for this Sunday, November 20. It will be rescheduled for some time after the holidays.
"Count Yourself Blessed"
ANNUAL TEEN TINSEL GIFT TREE We kicked off our annual Teen Tinsel Tree gift project on Sunday, November 6. Teens who are at-risk or from very low income families are often overlooked by holiday assistance programs. We’re inviting our congregation to help brighten the winter holidays for these teens by filling a stocking. Handmade Christmas stockings, donated by the Senior Center Wisconsin Warmer Quilters, will be available in the Narthex for you to “check-out and fill-up”. Donations will be due back by December 4. Cash donations are also welcome. For more information contact Dorry Wilner, 236-5714.
HANGING OF THE GREENS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2011 Following the worship service there will be a potluck meal in Fellowship Hall (please bring a dish to pass) and then we will decorate the sanctuary for Advent and Christmas with our traditional Hanging of the Greens. The congregation is urged to participate – it is a wonderful event for the entire family! Join us in any of the following activities: Setting up for the potluck meal; decorating trees; creating and installing pew swags; hanging garlands; crafts with children; child care; cleaning up following the potluck meal; etc. Afterwards we gather in the choir loft and sing carols. Please plan to attend for a very memorable experience.
A note of Gratitude from the Empty Bowls Planning Committee. Thanks to the efforts of many Empty Bowls 2011 last Sunday was a huge success. We learned once again we have a warm caring community of folks whose amazing efforts have helped Empty Bowls Oshkosh meet its pledge to “Feed the Hungry.” Festival Foods, United Way and First Congregational Church sponsored Empty Bowls. Several Artists, 15 restaurants, Scout Troop 604 and an army of bakers, Pilgrim Camp, FCC and others made wonderful, tasty and creative donations of artwork and food. An amazing cadre of folks pulled together Sunday and helped bake bread, set the scene and the tables, man soup chafers and entertain. First Congregational Church has been home to Empty Bowls and part of it for now the fifth time. Thank you for attending, for helping, for encouraging and helping to feed, body and soul, some deserving families in Oshkosh. After bills are paid and all checks are in, Empty Bowls Oshkosh will be able to donate nearly $6,000. Thank you for helping to make this possible. |
Carolyn Blassingame
Carolyn and her husband, Lurton, found First Congregational Church about 41 years ago and were impressed with its welcoming atmosphere. They became formal members because Lurton's mother wanted their son baptized. Back then Carolyn was a teacher in Oshkosh and Lurton was an Urban Studies professor at UW-Oshkosh. They found some familiar faces at FCC, which made them feel even more welcome. That welcome feeling was amplified by friendly ministers, caring adults in the childcare room and a request of some church women for Carolyn to help out in the kitchen at church bazaar time. Since then, Carolyn says, she has come to appreciate the non-judgmental and accepting atmosphere of FCC, along with a lack of doctrine, an Adult Education hour before each Sunday's formal service where issues of varying kinds can be discussed, and the lack of gossip that is so often prevalent in many churches or other organizations.
These days Carolyn remains active in the church, serving as a Sunday church school teacher, childcare volunteer, Sunday morning greeter and a member of the church's New Member Development Ministry Group.
Both Carolyn and Lurton are retired these days, but they love Oshkosh as being a great place to live and raise kids. When not involved with her church activities Carolyn is an active member of the Oshkosh League of Women Voters and served for three years as a program and volunteer coordinator at the Oshkosh Seniors Center. She is also involved with helping in the resettlement and fulfillment of needs for Sudanese families moving into the Oshkosh area.
ORDER YOUR POINSETTIAS! This year we are again taking donations for general Christmas decorations. You may donate money (any amount you decide) which will be used to purchase poinsettias, wreaths and garlands. Your donation may be IN MEMORY OF or IN HONOR OF someone. These remembrances will be listed in the bulletin. If you would like to take a poinsettia home, you may do so after the 7:30 Christmas Eve worship service. For the complete printable order form
Interfaith Festival of Gratitude
This great tradition continues -- the gathering of people of many faiths, giving thanks to God as each understands that God. Come to the Grand Opera House on Thanksgiving Eve, at 7:00 p.m., to enjoy presentations of many traditions, joining as a interfaith community in truly a Festival of Gratitude! An offering will be recieved, supporting the Day by Day warming shelter just opened. Christians of various sorts, Jews, Muslims, Baha'is, Hindus, Zen . . . Eckankar -- a cornucopia of faiths!
Something new this year: After the Festival, people will be coming to our Fellowship Hall for conversation and refreshments, and opportunities to learn more about each other. All the groups are bringing light refreshments -- if you would like to contribute some cookies or other treats, give Ralph a call. Give him a call too if you can help serving and cleaning up. You can reach him at 231-7520, or email, ralph@fccoshkosh.org. Thanks! And we hope to see you at the Festival!
Got a Flat Screen TV? We're hoping to find someone who has a TV monitor -- at least 36-inch -- that they could donate to the church. We'd like to mount it where all the great photos that are taken each week can be displayed. Questions? See Ralph
Pictures from Empty Bowls --
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